Role of fatty acids in regulation of phosphoenolpyruvate and citrulline synthesis in rabbit liver mitochondria

Aroclor 1254 treatment and fasting influences on rat liver mitochondrial carbamoyl phosphate synthesis with ADP and ATP

Previous studies have shown that the polychlorinated biphenyl mixture, Aroclor 1254 (ARO), -induced wasting in male rats is associated with increased permeability of hepatic mitochondria. This was correlated with hyperuremia and stimulated urea synthesis, hypoglycemia and suppressed glucogenesis after an ammonium acetate injection, and decreased retention of assimilated nitrogen and food intake. For ARO-toxic rats (100 mg/kg, ip, for 1, 2, and 4 days) versus Tween 80-treated, ad libitum-fed controls, mitochondrial carbamoyl phosphate (CP) formation (the initial step in urea synthesis from NH4+) was progressively stimulated for the duration of treatment from NH4+ and ATP but not from NH4+ and ADP. ARO maximal stimulation of CP formation also correlated with significant loss in body weight. Mitochondrial ornithine transcarbamoylase synthesis of citrulline from ornithine and carbamoyl phosphate was also stimulated. In comparison to fasted rats (24 hr), mitochondrial CP synthesis from NH4+ was enhanced with ADP but not with ATP. This ARO uncoupling of mitochondrial NH4+ metabolism and stimulation of CP formation with exogenous ATP and citrulline synthesis may have resulted from increased availability of substrates and cofactors in the matrix space, leakage of enzymes from the matrix, or a combination of these effects. These results are consistent with an increased inner membrane permeability and fragility during isolation and assays. In agreement with our previous studies, the data show that ARO exposure poises hepatic mitochondria toward the synthesis of urea intermediates.

The stimulatory effect of alloxan diabetes on citrulline formation in rabbit liver mitochondria

The effect of alloxan diabetes on citrulline formation from NH4Cl and bicarbonate was studied in rabbit liver mitochondria incubated with glutamate or succinate as respiratory substrate, as well as with exogenous ATP in the presence of uncoupler and oligomycin. In contrast to ornithine transcarbamoylase, the activity of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase (ammonia) was higher in mitochondria from diabetic animals than in those from normal ones. In diabetic rabbits the rates of citrulline synthesis were stimulated under all conditions studied. In contrast, levels of N-acetylglutamate, an activator of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase (ammonia), were significantly increased only in the presence of glutamate, while the highest rates of citrulline formation occurred in uncoupled mitochondria incubated with exogenous ATP as energy source. Treatment of animals with alloxan resulted in an increase of both the intramitochondrial ATP level and the rate of adenine nucleotide translocation across the mitochondrial membrane. The results indicate that the stimulation of citrulline formation in liver mitochondria of diabetic rabbits is mainly due to an increase in carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase (ammonia) activity and an elevation of content of intramitochondrial ATP, a substrate of this enzyme.

The stimulatory effect of oleate on citrulline formation from carbamoyl phosphate and ornithine in rat-liver mitochondria: the relation to ornithine uptake

The effect of oleate, palmitate and octanoate on citrulline formation from carbamoyl phosphate nad ornithine was studied in rat liver mitochondria. In intact mitochondria, Oleate stimulated citrulline production for about 100%, while palmitate increased the rate of this process only for about 20-30% and octanoate had no significant effect. All the fatty acids studied did not change the rate of citrulline synthesis in sonicated mitochondria. Oleate increased significantly the mitochondrial ornithine uptake. The data indicate that the stimulatory effect of oleate on citrulline formation via ornithine carbamoyltransferase may be due to an increase of mitochondrial ornithine uptake.

Phosphoenolpyruvate synthesis by fetal guinea-pig liver mitochondria

Liver mitochondria isolated from fetal and newborn guinea pigs synthesized phosphoenolpyruvate at 4-6 nmol/min per mg protein with 2 mM malate, succinate, and alpha-ketoglutarate as substrates. These rates were 90-110% of that by adult liver mitochondria and were not substantially altered in the second half of gestation or within 24 h after birth. Both palmitoyl- and octanoylcarnitine were inhibitory to phosphoenolpyruvate synthesis in adult and fetal preparations, but free octanoate was inhibitory only in adult liver mitochondria.

Glutamate metabolism in relation to glutamate transport in kidney cortex mitochondria of rabbit

1. The metabolism of glutamate was followed by measurements of phosphoenolpyruvate production, aspartate synthesis and ammonia release, whereas the transport of glutamate across the inner membrane of kidney cortex mitochondria was studied using an oxygen electrode and the swelling technique. 2. When added separately, avenaciolide and aminooxyacetate only partially inhibited both State 3 and uncoupled respiration of the mitochondria, as studied in the presence of glutamate as substrate. In contrast, the addition of both inhibitors to the reaction medium resulted in an almost complete inhibition of glutamate oxidation. 3. Swelling of kidney mitochondria in an isosmotic solution of ammonium glutamate was accelerated by uncoupler and inhibited by avenaciolide, while the swelling of mitochondria in potassium glutamate was stimulated by valinomycin and inhibited by uncoupler. 4. When glutamate was used as the sole substrate, inhibition of aspartate formation by aminooxyacetate resulted in a stimulation of both ammonia release and phosphoenolpyruvate production. In contrast, with glutamate plus malate as substrate an elevation of the rate of glutamate deamination on the addition of aminooxyacetate was accompanied by an inhibition of phosphoenolpyruvate synthesis in both State 3 and uncoupled conditions. 5. In the presence of valinomycin to induce K+-permeability a marked enhancement of glutamate deamination was accompanied by a significant inhibition of glutamate transamination. 6. Based on the presented results it was concluded that in rabbit renal mitochondria utilizing glutamate as substrate the rate of ammonia production, phosphoenolpyruvate formation and aspartate synthesis vary in response to different metabolic conditions, in which both the glutamate--H+ symport and the glutamate--aspartate exchange systems are functioning to different extents.